As a member of the Professionals of Business and Technology, you will receive personal salary counseling to help you form a realistic salary request. You also are insured against unemployment and will receive unemployment benefit advice.

In Finland, all salaries are negotiable, says Senior Advisor Katriina Matinhelmi from Professionals of Business and Technology.

– There’s no reason to mystify salary negotiations – they are just a regular part of the Finnish working life, she says.

Matinhelmi points out that many sectors do have collective labor agreements in place – but that only sets the minimum salary level. Through negotiation, one can certainly improve on that.

But how do you know what to ask for in a salary negotiation in Finland? – Matinhelmi says that it’s worthwhile to ask the employer: How exactly are salary levels determined within the organization?

– Also talking with a personnel representative or colleagues will give you some insight into salary levels.

Generally speaking, Matinhelmi says that salary depends on how demanding the job in question is. Also, if you’ve been working for a while in the organization and want a raise, you should be able to demonstrate the added value you deliver through your work effort.

How does Finnish unemployment security work?

Unemployment benefits are financial support that you receive when you become unemployed. Kela (Social Insurance Institution of Finland) pays basic unemployment allowance to the unemployed, but you can increase the amount of your unemployment benefits by joining an unemployment fund.

– If you become unemployed or are laid off, as a member of a fund, you can receive earnings-related daily allowance that is higher than the support paid by Kela, explains Matinhelmi.

The unemployment fund for Professionals of Business and Technology members is KOKO (Unemployment Fund for Highly Educated). For entrepreneurs, the correct fund is Entrepreneur Fund.

– In order to receive unemployment benefits, you must register as an unemployed job seeker with the TE Services – so that must be first on your list if you become unemployed or are laid off, Matinhelmi says.

Basically, KOKO membership acts as insurance in the event of unemployment. Given that proper employment requirements are met, the fund will pay out unemployment benefits.

Text: Sami Anteroinen

Do you have a question about your salaries or unemployment security? As a member, you can get help from our special advisor. Read more about salary counseling or unemployment security.